


Minty Fresh, Strawberry Sweet, Cinnamon Spice

by angelofthequeers



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrigaminette, Bee!Kagami, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Dragon!Chloe, Episode: s03 Mangeamour | Heart Hunter (Battle of the Miraculous Part 1), F/F, F/M, Fluff, Kwami Swap, Love Confessions, ML Secret Santa, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has Anxiety, Multi, Polyamory, Romance, adrien deserves ALL THE LOVE okay, and marinette, and so does kagami, they all do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22286482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelofthequeers/pseuds/angelofthequeers
Summary: “I can, but too many flavours mixed together may throw off the delicate balance,” André says.Heart Hunter, but if Kagami, Adrien, and Marinette actually pointed out the flaws in André's ideas of ice cream blends instead of accepting it, because I will forever be salty of the polyamory we could have had. Ft. lovesick Marinette, Adrien getting the love he deserves, and Kagami politely giving the love polygon the middle finger.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 261
Kudos: 1007
Collections: Completed





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.
> 
> Hey, [zenniaphoenix](https://zenniaphoenix.tumblr.com)! I’m your backup ML Secret Santa gifter and when I saw Adrigaminette, I had to snap it up! This first chapter can technically stand alone, since the rest of this fic was inspired by writing this chapter, so you don’t have to read the later chapters once I post them. But this one’s all for you!

“Which flavours for these two?” André sings. He gestures to Kagami and Adrien. “Orange and peppermint, a perfect pairing that’s always a success; nothing can turn it into a mess! And for you two –” He waves his hand at Adrien and Marinette, “– blackberry and peppermint, an explosive mix! That’s a fact, but oftentimes it’s the opposites that attract!” Then he looks at Marinette and Kagami and finishes, “Orange and blackberry, quite unusual, it’s true! Not the most obvious but it works for you two! So, what will it be?”

“You pick,” Kagami says to Marinette. “I don’t really get what he’s saying, anyway.”

“Yeah, you pick, Marinette!” Adrien says with a smile that scorches Marinette’s insides. “We trust you!”

Orange and peppermint? Blackberry and peppermint? Orange and blackberry? Which one should Marinette choose? Which two out of the three of them would work best together?

 _Two out of three flavours? Or people?_ whispers a nasty little voice. Marinette shakes her head to clear it.

“Can’t you find a blend for the three of us?” she says desperately. André sighs and shakes his head, while Adrien furrows his brow and looks between Marinette and Kagami.

“I can, but too many flavours mixed together may throw off the delicate balance,” André says.

“Neapolitan ice cream exists,” Kagami says before Marinette can tear her hair out trying to decide which pairing would work best. “And from what I gather, the flavours you listed refer to us. Does that mean that we’re solely one flavour, or are there others that could work for us?”

“Besides, orange and peppermint?” Adrien wrinkles his nose. “Have you ever brushed your teeth and then had orange juice? I’m guessing I’m the mint and Kagami’s the orange.”

“Implying that we _wouldn’t_ work well together,” Kagami says, raising her eyebrow at André. “Even though you said that that pairing is always a success.”

“Maybe we just need a good flavour to balance out the orange and peppermint?” Adrien says. Marinette follows their conversation like one might follow a tennis volley, with her head whipping from Adrien to Kagami and then back to Adrien. “Or maybe our triple blend is made up of entirely different flavours?”

“Well, I think Adrien’s definitely peppermint,” Marinette says. “Delicious with a hidden kick!” Then she squeaks and covers her face and babbles, “Why did I say that, why did I say that –”

“Because you’re totally right,” Kagami says. “Adrien _is_ peppermint. And I feel like you would be more strawberry than blackberry, since you’re fresh and sweet but also have a hint of acid to you. I’m just unsure as to how orange refers to me.”

“Are you even a fruit at all?” Adrien says, while heat floods Marinette’s face at Kagami’s description of her.

“Y-Yeah,” Marinette forces out. “You’re unconventional. You can intimidate people at first but once they get to know you, they realise just how much they love you.”

Kagami’s cheeks flush pink at that, although Marinette’s not in any hurry to pause and examine the implications of what she’d just said in wake of Kagami’s words about her first. Not if she wants to keep what few brain cells that she has left around these two, especially after the morning she’d just shared with them.

“So, a flavour that’s unconventional and a little intimidating but also amazing,” Adrien says. He and Marinette exchange looks.

“Cinnamon!” they burst out together. Kagami’s eyebrows rise.

“Cinnamon?” she says.

“Yeah!” Marinette says. “I mean, you’ve got cinnamon eyes! And just like Adrien’s peppermint, you’ve got a kick to you! Oh, and you’re not as widely-picked as him but the people who pick you know exactly what they’re doing!”

“Plus, cinnamon can intimidate some people,” Adrien says. “Remember the cinnamon challenge floating around on the internet?”

“Do I?” Marinette snorts. “People are _ridiculous_. But hey, I bet _we_ can handle cinnamon!”

“Really?” Kagami says with twitching lips.

“Yeah!” Marinette nods and turns to face André, beaming widely now that she doesn’t have to make a choice that’ll impact the love lives of her and her friends. “Each flavour balances the others out! Peppermint, strawberry, and cinnamon, please, André!”

“Hmm.” André strokes his chins as he regards the three of them. “André hadn’t thought of those flavours, that much is true. Perhaps this really is the blend that represents you!” He scoops out a ball of pink strawberry ice cream, followed by one of green peppermint, then pale brown cinnamon to top it off. After sticking three spoons into it, he hands it to Adrien and beams at them.

“So,” Adrien says as the three of them walk off with their ice cream. “You think they’ve figured out where we’ve gone?”

“I don’t see why they would assume that we’d gone to get soulmate ice cream,” Kagami says. Her eyes light up when Adrien offers her a spoonful of peppermint ice cream, and she hums and closes her lips around the spoon. “Mmm. You taste good, Adrien.”

“O-Oh. Thanks,” says a red-faced Adrien. Marinette forces out a laugh, though she can’t deny that the little sweet romantic interaction between Adrien and Kagami has left a sour pit in her gut. Even if her ice cream flavour _is_ in there as well.

“You have to try it, Marinette!” Kagami takes the spoon from Adrien and scoops up a little of the peppermint for Marinette to try. Okay, so Kagami’s _feeding_ her Adrien ice cream, and – _no, Marinette, don’t think about it, not unless you want to freak out –_

“Tastes just as good as the last time I had it!” Marinette blurts out after swallowing her mouthful of ice cream. Then the blood drains from her face at the realisation of what she’d just said.

“Wait… _I_ was your ice cream?” Adrien looks like he’s been hit over the head by an akuma, although hopefully that’s due to bewilderment and not revulsion. Hopefully. But he’d agreed to a three-way ice cream…right?

“It makes sense,” Kagami says. “Marinette, tell him.”

“But – I – I can’t –”

“Don’t hesitate!” Kagami throws out an arm to stop Adrien and Marinette in their tracks, then whirls around until she’s nose-to-nose with Marinette. “Remember what I told you at the ice rink? I never hesitate. How do you expect him to consider you as an option if you haven’t made yourself one?”

“Marinette…has a crush on me?” says a slowly-blinking Adrien.

“Hush.” Kagami jabs a finger at him. “Be courageous, Marinette. No more torturing yourself with what-ifs. If you want something, go for it!”

“Why are you even encouraging me?” Marinette decides that it’s finally time to address the elephant in the room. “I thought you wanted Adrien? Doesn’t encouraging me to tell him that I love him defeat that purpose?”

To Marinette’s astonishment, Kagami just throws back her head and laughs.

“Of course I want Adrien,” Kagami says. “As do you. And I know Adrien wants both of us.”

“Wait, what?” Adrien says. “I don’t – but my – _Ladybug_!”

Marinette and Kagami turn to stare at Adrien, although Marinette’s reacting out of sheer shock, so she’s not sure what Kagami’s motivating emotion is. Adrien’s in love with _her_? Well, Ladybug, but _her_?

“ _Ladybug’s_ been your target this whole time?” Kagami says. “Adrien, how in the world could you have a lasting relationship with her? She’s a _superhero_. You’re a _civilian_ , and a famous one at that.”

“She’d never want to put you in danger like that, no matter how much she might like you,” Marinette rasps around her swollen tongue. “You couldn’t go on real dates with her. You’d have to be stealthy to avoid Hawkmoth finding out. If she won’t even date Chat Noir…maybe she’s too careful to put anyone in Hawkmoth’s sights like that. Maybe she’s too scared to endanger someone else.”

“Focus on what’s in front of you,” Kagami says. “I like you. Marinette just confessed that she likes you.”

Marinette lets out a high-pitched squeak at the realisation that Kagami’s right, she’d just admitted in front of Adrien that she _loves him_ –

“But I can’t choose between you two!” Adrien grabs at his golden hair with his free hand. “You both mean so much to me! I don’t want to hurt either of you!”

“I think the solution here is obvious.” Kagami points at the ice cream. “Those are _our_ flavours, are they not? We worked together and found a blend that encompassed all three of us. You and I work well together. You and Marinette work well together. And Marinette and I could possibly work well together too. There’s nothing stopping you from dating us both.”

Both Adrien and Marinette let out choked gasps at Kagami’s words and try to recover at least one brain cell between them.

“Is that even a thing?” Marinette finally blurts out, recovering just seconds before Adrien.

“As far as I’m aware,” Kagami says. “And even if others don’t accept it, I refuse to allow them to dictate my life. I’m very much interested in Adrien. It’s very likely that I might also develop feelings for you. You’ve been in love with Adrien for a while now. And I know for a fact that Adrien likes not only me but also you, no matter how much he claims that his heart belongs to Ladybug.”

“H-How can you be sure?” Adrien stammers, while Marinette has no doubt that her face would be as red as Ladybug’s suit if she could look in a mirror.

“Marinette was your concern at the ice rink. You always manage to find a way to talk about her when we’re together.” Kagami ticks off her list on her fingers. “The way you’ve been looking at her all morning and even back during the movie premiere. Even the way you’re conflicted between me and her. If you truly didn’t have feelings for her, you wouldn’t be agonising over choosing between us. Your concern would be to avoid hurting her while choosing me, not trying to figure out which one of us you want.”

“But…I like you, Kagami,” Adrien says in a little lost voice. Marinette resists the urge to grab the ice cream out of his hand and suffocate herself with it, although she’s not sure whether that’s out of jealousy or sheer _why can’t he get it?_

“I know you do,” Kagami says. “And you like Marinette. That’s why I’m not telling you to choose. I know you _can’t_ choose.”

“Kagami –”

“Adrien. Stop. Look me in the eye and tell me that this isn’t the perfect solution to your problem.”

“I-I’d be happy with it,” Marinette croaks. “I mean – well – if it comes down to it, I’ll step aside if it makes Adrien happy. But I don’t mind, well…sharing you with Kagami. And _maybe_ I could like Kagami in that way at some point? I think the seeds are there. I’m just trying not to think about it right now, so my head doesn’t explode…”

Kagami smiles at Marinette, causing brilliant warmth to erupt in her stomach and trickle through her like a hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. Oops. Can she _not_ start to catch feelings for Kagami when she’s currently wrestling with her feelings for Adrien?

“You’d give up a chance to be with me just to make me happy?” Adrien says, staring at Marinette with wide eyes. The heat in her body surges to her face.

“Y-Yeah,” she says. “You deserve to be happy, Adrien. I’ll always do whatever I need to do to make sure of that, even if I have to let you go. Just like I helped you with Kagami at the ice rink.” She ducks her head and whispers, “I l-l-love you too much to keep you to myself if it’d make you miserable.”

“I truly do believe that you would’ve chosen the orange and peppermint combination if you’d been forced to do so,” Kagami says dryly. “Why do you think I spoke up? You’re my only friend aside from Adrien, and I refuse to hurt you for a boy. If we can _both_ have him, I’m happy to share.”

“I thought you weren’t about second place,” Marinette teases weakly. When she looks up, Kagami’s lips are twitching.

“It’s hardly second place if I’m not missing out,” Kagami says. “Not only would I have Adrien, but I’d also have the knowledge that his other partner is the only other person I can think of who’s worthy of him, and vice versa. I like to think of it as equal first place.”

Marinette shoots a look at Adrien, who’s practically got visible cogs turning in his head as he processes what had just happened over the past few minutes. She refuses to let the hope break free from where it’s straining in her heart, though. It’s Adrien’s choice and she’s not going to try and influence him in any way, no matter her feelings on the matter.

“I think…” Adrien takes a deep breath. Both Marinette and Kagami lean in closer. “I really like that idea. But…I think I need a bit longer to wrap my head around it. And to push my feelings for Ladybug aside. Like, I _know_ we won’t ever be together, but my heart doesn’t really know that yet, and I don’t want to hurt either of you by jumping in when I’m not ready. Especially because I _do_ like both of you. I’ve liked Kagami for a while now and Marinette…” Adrien scratches the back of his neck with a nervous grin. “You’ve always been more than a friend to me. I guess I just didn’t realise it until now, when you became a possibility. I always felt like there was something…well, _off_ between us. That you’ve never liked me but just acted like you did to keep the peace.”

“Of course,” Kagami says immediately, while Marinette lets out the breath that she’d been keeping locked in her lungs. “This isn’t a decision to rush into. But don’t take too long to decide, Adrien. Your indecision could hurt us.”

“And that’s not true at all!” Marinette says. “You’ve always been a friend to me, Adrien. I’ve just…um…I’ve…”

“Go on,” Kagami says, grabbing Marinette’s hand and squeezing it. “I’ve made my feelings for Adrien clear, so now is your chance to clear the air and be completely honest.”

Marinette takes a deep breath, drawing courage from the warmth radiating from where Kagami’s bare skin is touching hers. She’s already told Adrien that she loves him. He likes her back. She can do this!

“I’ve loved you ever since you gave me your umbrella,” Marinette whispers. “When you showed me that you weren’t just another rich jerk like Chloé. When I got a glimpse at the sweet, kind, _lonely_ boy that was nothing like her. And ever since then, all I’ve seen is that you’re loyal and loving and brave and you just…you _care_ so deeply, even when other people don’t deserve it. How could I _not_ love you?”

Adrien just stares at her, his mouth hanging open and his cheeks dusted with rosy pink. Oh. _Oh_. Had Marinette really just said all that to him? She squeaks and covers her flaming face, but Adrien’s quick to grab her wrists and squeeze without trying to force her hands away.

“No! No!” he says. “Don’t get embarrassed! Please! Now I get why you’ve been so weird around me.”

“You should probably apologise for being so cute,” Kagami deadpans. Marinette uncovers her face just in time to see Adrien roll his eyes at Kagami in response.

“Sorry. Anxiety issues,” Marinette says in a high voice. “Not that _you_ made me anxious! No, uh, it was just…you know, me working myself up to ask you out all these times and then freaking out because what if you rejected me or thought I was a weirdo and never wanted to talk to me again or even thought I was one of your crazy fangirls –”

“Marinette.” Kagami rests her hands on Marinette’s shoulders and squeezes. “Breathe. It’s okay. Adrien hasn’t rejected you.”

“Actually, I think I just realised what an amazing girl you are,” Adrien says softly as he looks down at the ground. “When you said all that stuff about me…wow, Marinette. I had no clue that was how you saw me. And I’ve never had anyone say that sort of thing to me. It’s usually always just about how cute or hot I am, or how they want to have my babies, or just fake compliments to get something from me.”

“I mean, you _are_ cute!” Marinette blurts out. “But that’s not _all_ you are! I hate that that’s all people see in you…”

“When you’ve been forced to navigate a bunch of rich people all your life, you tend to develop a sixth sense for sniffing out false compliments and fakeness in general, even if you can’t usually read people well,” Adrien says. “I didn’t even know you liked me until now, but what you said about me…it’s the truth. I can _feel_ it.”

“I could never lie to you about something like that,” Marinette says to the ground.

“Well, you don’t need to get anxious around me from now on.” Adrien reaches out slowly, giving Marinette time to back away as she looks up, but when she nods, he pulls her into a loose hug, making sure to hold the ice cream out to avoid damaging it. “Thanks for being honest, Marinette. And thanks for telling me all that stuff. I think I needed to hear it. I’ll become your slave for life if you keep saying nice things about me.”

“We’re two socially awkward rich teenagers who thrive on attention,” Kagami says with twitching lips. “You’re the perfect balance for us, Marinette. That’s why I’m willing to share Adrien with you but not with anyone else. You bring out the best in us.”

Marinette nods into Adrien’s shoulder, then pulls back so she can grab the spoon from Kagami, scoop up a little bit of each flavour of ice cream, and hold it out for Adrien to taste, trying her hardest not to turn into a beetroot when his lips close around the spoon. His gorgeous green eyes light up.

“That’s so good!” he says once he’s swallowed the ice cream mix. “The strawberry’s nice and sweet with, like, this hint of something more, but you’d have to try more of it to get there. The cinnamon’s got a nice spicy kick but it’s also got a hint of sweetness! And the peppermint’s minty with this little bit of a peppery aftertaste. They really do balance each other out!”

“Just like we balance each other out,” Kagami says with a smirk. She winks at Marinette, who giggles and ducks her head with warm cheeks. But before Marinette can take a scoop of ice cream for herself, there’s the sound of screaming from the next street over, followed by gleeful cackling.

“The love of this city is so delectable!” says a male voice. Adrien immediately jumps in front of Marinette and Kagami and starts to shepherd them away from the voice.

“And these lovebirds! What a treat!” a female voice adds.

“You think it’s another double akuma like Oblivio?” Marinette says in a hushed voice.

“Oblivio?” Kagami says.

“Our two best friends. Alya and Nino.” Adrien drops the ice cream, letting it splatter on the ground so that he can grab Marinette and Kagami by the hands and take off running. They round the corner just in time to avoid being spotted by the…uh, _head_ that floats around the corner?

“I cannot wait to devour the love of Ladybug and Chat Noir!” The male voice comes from the hideously stretched face on the pink floating head. But then the head flips a hundred and eighty degrees to reveal a woman’s face that’s equally as grotesque.

“What a lovely meal they’ll make, André!” the woman says. Marinette sucks in a breath as she, Kagami, and Adrien watch from around the corner of the building behind which they’re taking shelter.

“Mr and Mrs Bourgeois?” she hisses. She jumps when Adrien drops her hand and takes off running down the street.

“I’m gonna go find Ladybug and Chat Noir!” he calls. “Hide, both of you! I don’t want anything to happen to you!”

“Go after him, Kagami!” Marinette cries. “Trust me, hiding’s one of my best skills!”

Kagami grabs Marinette’s hands. “Don’t get caught! And don’t you dare do anything stupid!” Then she drops Marinette’s hands and sprints after Adrien. Marinette ducks behind a nearby car and opens her purse to let Tikki dart out.

“Time to transform!” Marinette says. “Tikki, spots on!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.
> 
> Thanks to bbbbBGBADB, dnofsunshine, RoseThorne, CheshireMadd, TheSuperShipper, Bbgirl3191, Fabulous_as_FCUK, PA2, LovingAlex, Callmedale, LeonUlquer, writingish1210, naresar and DivineDemonDragon for your comments :)

“You’re sure?” Chat Noir says when Ladybug shows him her mini merry-go-round Lucky Charm. “Who d’you think?”

Ladybug purses her lips and deflects another attack from Heart Hunter, sending the pink beam crashing into a nearby car. “Ideally, the Bee,” she says. “But Chloé can’t be Queen Bee again! Hawkmoth’s been keeping an eye on her –”

“Does it have to be Chloé?” Chat Noir leaps in front of Ladybug to bat away a beam with his baton, and then she grabs his wrist and hauls him into a nearby subway station. With a snarl, Heart Hunter tries to follow, but Audrey’s frothing face jammed at the top of the stairs simply proves that they’re too large to get in and so they jet off to no doubt drain more of Paris’ love.

“What do you mean?” Ladybug says.

“Well, Hawkmoth knows that Chloé’s Queen Bee,” Chat Noir says. “And he knows that Kagami’s Ryuuko, right? So, they can’t be the Bee and Dragon heroes again. But –”

“But we could switch them!” Ladybug says slowly as a plan starts to come together. “And I know exactly what to do! Can you keep Heart Hunter occupied, kitty? And give me cover so I can get out of here without Heart Hunter seeing who I am?”

Chat Noir grins impishly and nods. He bursts out of the subway station and hollers for Heart Hunter, so Ladybug detransforms and crawls to the top of the stairs to wait for his distraction.

“Cataclysm!” A burst of dust fills the air. With an arm over her nose and mouth, Marinette sprints through the dust cloud and takes off running for the Place des Vosges. When she chances a peek over her shoulder, her knees nearly turn into jelly, because Hawkmoth and Mayura are crouching behind a nearby chimney with their eyes on the fight! If not for being behind them like this, Marinette wouldn’t have had a single clue that they were lurking nearby.

“Thank god for Chat Noir,” she whispers, skidding around the corner before Hawkmoth or Mayura can see her. Not that she thinks they’ll suspect her of being Ladybug, but better safe than sorry. But their presence just proves that they’ve got something big cooked up – after all, when does Hawkmoth ever come out in person? – so it’s imperative that Marinette gets this right.

Although it takes longer to get to the park as herself, Marinette’s surer than ever that it’s the right decision after catching that glimpse of Hawkmoth and Mayura. Sure enough, in the merry-go-round is Master Fu, and his eyes widen when she crawls in to join him in the centre of the ride.

“I need help, Master!” she says. “Chat Noir and I can’t defeat Heart Hunter on our own!”

Master Fu nods and turns to fetch the Miracle Box that he’s hidden in the cooler box behind him. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, if you’d like to have a turn on the merry-go-round, please pick your favourite horse. Once the mission is over, you will retrieve the Miraculous and return it to me.”

Marinette immediately snatches up the Bee comb and the Dragon choker. Master Fu gasps.

“Are you sure, Marinette?” he says. “Hawkmoth knows who Queen Bee and Ryuuko are.”

“That’s why they won’t be Queen Bee and Ryuuko any longer,” Marinette says and grabs the Fox necklace too. “I know exactly how to make sure of it.”

Once she’s tucked the Miraculouses safely away, Marinette slithers back out of the merry-go-round and makes sure that she’s out of the park before she ducks behind a car and transforms again. As Ladybug, she throws her yo-yo and takes off soaring through Paris in search of her targets; and thank god she finds one of them just a few streets away because she does _not_ have the time to go on a scavenger hunt!

“Ladybug?” Kagami says when Ladybug lands next to her and pulls her into a nearby alleyway. “I’m honoured that you’ve chosen me, but I thought you couldn’t give me this Miraculous again, since Hawkmoth knows my identity.”

“I know.” Ladybug fishes around in her yo-yo for the appropriate Miraculous and holds it out to Kagami. “I’m not giving you the Dragon again. If you’re willing, I’ve got a new Miraculous for you to use. Her identity’s also been compromised.”

Kagami’s eyes widen at the golden light that greets her when she snaps open the box to reveal the Bee comb. After materialising, Pollen smiles and bows.

“At your service, my queen!” she says.

“Can I trust you to return the Miraculous to me once we’ve defeated Heart Hunter?” Ladybug says. Kagami nods with a determined smile and slides the comb into her short hair.

“Of course, Ladybug. Thank you for giving me this second chance. I promise I won’t mess this one up.”

“My transformation phrase is “buzz on”,” Pollen says.

“Pollen, buzz on!” Kagami’s enveloped in golden light, which fades to reveal her in a tight yellow suit with black honeycomb armour along her shoulders, chest, and upper back, like a cropped top, along with elbow-length armoured black gloves, knee-length black boots, thick black stripes around her upper arms and thighs and thinner ones tapering down her yellow abdomen where her armour ends. Her trompo is slung around her waist, her short black hair has yellow stripes through the front windswept part with the Bee comb glimmering to the left of her forehead, and her cinnamon brown eyes are now behind a yellow mask with a black outline and two sharp spikes angling under her eyes, reminiscent of her Ryuuko mask.

“Nice costume.” Ladybug can’t help but grin as Kagami unslings her trompo and weaves the string around her fingers experimentally. “No one would ever think that you were Ryuuko.”

“I must admit, I do miss the sword,” Kagami says. “But the top is a good second choice, especially since this is also a straightforward Miraculous. I don’t think I would have made a good Turtle or Fox.” Then she frowns. “I shouldn’t use a Japanese name for myself if I’m aiming to separate myself from Ryuuko, should I? I’m the only hero without an English or French name, apart from Mayura, otherwise I’d call myself Mitsubachi.”

“It’ll definitely be better for you,” Ladybug grimaces. “I’m sorry, I know you’re proud of your heritage.”

“It’s no problem. I know our secret identities are of utmost importance.” Kagami hums for a moment. “I’ll call myself…Cerana, after the Asiatic honeybee. That should be broad enough that I shouldn’t be easily identified.”

Ladybug smiles and nods. “Good choice, Cerana. I just have to go and fetch the new Dragon. Remember what I told you!”

Cerana nods and turns to swing off, only to stumble and collect herself. “Ladybug,” she says. “Are Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng safe? I followed Adrien to come and find you, but I lost track of him. I can’t let anything happen to them. They’re my only two friends and I refuse to allow anything to happen to them.”

“I, uh – Marinette’s safe!” Ladybug says quickly, praying that her warm cheeks aren’t visibly flushing, because arousing Cerana’s suspicions is the last thing she needs right now. “And I haven’t seen Adrien, but maybe Chat Noir’s taken him somewhere safe too! He didn’t end up finding me.”

Cerana nods and then leaps away, tossing her trompo to zip from building to building. Ladybug takes off in the opposite direction, towards Le Grand Paris, praying that Chloé’s there with her bee signal and hasn’t decided to wander off. But thankfully, Chloé’s tapping her foot impatiently next to her dim bee signal, and her eyes light up at the sight of Ladybug swinging towards her.

“Ladybug!” she cries. Out of the corner of her eye, Ladybug catches sight of a flash of blue and she curses under her breath. Great. Mayura’s here. Of course she is, if Hawkmoth’s got something else planned for Chloé after his failed attempt to akumatise her last time. “It’s about time! Where’s my Miraculous?”

“I told you, you can’t be Queen Bee ever again,” Ladybug says loudly. As she swings past the rooftop, she snatches Chloé up in her arms and takes off again, and some sixth sense in her gut is just certain that Mayura’s on the move behind them, even if the blue pigeon can’t be seen. “I’m taking you to safety in case your parents decide to come after you.”

“As if,” Chloé scoffs. “They tried. But they said –”

“Will you shut up?” Ladybug hisses. Surprisingly, Chloé does as she’s told, but a sharp, pained cry escapes her when they draw close to the Heart Hunter battle and she catches sight of Cerana ducking as Chat Noir deflects a beam from Heart Hunter, then letting out a shout and going on the attack.

“My Miraculous!” Chloé wails. “But _I’m_ Queen Bee!”

“Shut up!” Ladybug takes a hard right down a side street and then leaps over a low stone wall. “I’m trying to lose Mayura!”

“But –”

“Be quiet, Chloé! I’ll explain everything when we’re not being followed! And try to control your emotions so Mayura can’t find us that way!”

Although Chloé’s thankfully quiet, the deep, harsh scowl doesn’t leave her face. But she must be suppressing her emotions somewhat effectively, since Ladybug’s able to feint a turn to the right and then dart left back to the subway station behind the rubble left from Chat Noir’s distraction. As soon as they’re under cover, Chloé squirms until Ladybug releases her, and she whirls and stomps away with clenched fists.

“ _I’m_ Queen Bee!” Chloé snaps, jabbing a finger at Ladybug.

“You were,” Ladybug says evenly. “And now you’re not. I explained to you that you couldn’t be Queen Bee again because Hawkmoth and Mayura were stalking you. They could get their hands on the Miraculous. They could hurt your friends and family. They could put me in a situation where I have to choose between you, an innocent civilian, and handing them even more power. And all so you can run around in a costume and act like you’re a paragon of virtue.”

“Excuse me?” splutters a red-face Chloé. “How _dare_ you? I was an amazing superhero!”

“I never said you weren’t.” Ladybug resists the urge to facepalm. If Chloé doesn’t get it now then there’s no way she can go ahead with this plan, or Chloé’s ego will only grow even more. “As Queen Bee. But what about Chloé Bourgeois?”

“I helped people on Startrain!” Chloé stamps her foot. “I offered to help with Bakerix! I’ve called you time and time again!”

“ _You’re not getting it_!” Now it’s Ladybug’s turn to jab a finger at Chloé. “Those times were _still_ related to you being Queen Bee. But how has _Chloé_ been better or more heroic? Have you been treating people better? Making an effort to not be so mean? Or have you been walking around thinking that kicking a few akumas around as Queen Bee cancels out everything you’ve done as Chloé Bourgeois?”

Chloé opens her mouth to fight back, only to then close it and open it again. She shakes her head, raises a hand, then lets out a wordless cry and turns around to kick the station wall.

“Damn you, Ladybug!” Chloé shrieks. Ladybug’s eyes dart from side to side, making sure that an amok’s not going to make an unwelcome appearance. “ _Damn you_!”

“That’s part of the reason why I didn’t give the Bee back to you.” Ladybug softens her tone, recognising that being hard now, when Chloé’s on the verge of getting it, will only push her away. “You’re an exceptional hero, Chloé. But part of fixing your own messes means making an effort to not cause them in the first place. If I give you the Bee when you haven’t changed at all as Chloé, what is that saying? That I condone your behaviour?”

“I’m not a bad person,” Chloé sniffles and wipes her watering eyes, smearing her makeup on her bright yellow cardigan. “I swear. Please, Ladybug, give me another chance to prove myself!”

Ladybug’s transported to another time and place, with Chloé on her knees begging for another chance to be Queen Bee while her heartless mother watches through tablet. She allows her face to soften to accompany her tone and says, “I want to, Chloé. You’re not a bad person; you just don’t know how to be good. But I can’t give you superpowers when you’re not making an effort to better yourself as _you_. Queen Bee and Chloé Bourgeois aren’t two different people, just like Ladybug and civilian me aren’t two separate people.”

“I…understand,” Chloé says softly. “I swear. I’ll try and be better this time, I promise. I’ll even…ugh, I’ll even _ask for help_.”

“Well, I can’t let you be Queen Bee again,” Ladybug says, and Chloé’s face falls. “I meant it when I said that it would put everyone in danger, including yourself. But I have another Miraculous in mind for you.”

Chloé’s head whips up. “Seriously?” she gasps. Ladybug smiles and nods as she rummages in her yo-yo for the Dragon.

“You won’t know Ryuuko’s identity, since only a few people know who she is,” Ladybug says. “Unfortunately, one of those people is Hawkmoth. My plan is to swap your Miraculouses, then convince Hawkmoth and Mayura that she and you are no longer heroes, in case they suspect that I’ve switched them.”

“Smart,” Chloé says with a feverish nod. Ladybug smiles and holds out the little box.

“Chloé Bourgeois, if I can trust you to give this back after the mission and to keep your identity a secret, then here is the Miraculous of the Dragon,” she says. “It grants you the power over the elements of wind, water, and lightning.”

“Of course, Ladybug!” Chloé babbles. She snaps the box open, beaming at the red light that greets her as Longg materialises. He bows respectfully to her.

“Good day, young lady!” he says as Chloé slips the choker around her neck. “I understand that you are my new chosen and Pollen has gone to my old holder?”

“I know you liked her, Longg,” Ladybug says. “But there was no way I could give you back to her without endangering both her and you.”

“I understand, of course,” Longg says. “A wise choice, Ladybug! Well, young lady, to transform, all you must say is, “Bring the storm” and you will be granted –”

“Longg, bring the storm!” Chloé cries.

“Not you toooo –!” Longg wails as he’s sucked into the choker and Chloé transforms in a flash of red light. Chloé’s outfit turns out to be a scaly suit that’s a darker red than Ladybug’s, with black shoulders and upper arms that meet her gold-trimmed red gloves, and a golden dragon that coils around her torso and down her right leg, with its mouth giving way to a mid-calf-length black boot and its tail wrapping around the three-segmented elemental symbol on her chest. Her left boot is asymmetrically thigh-high, with gold trim and sole just like her left boot, and upon closer inspection, gold scales are flecked throughout the red of her outfit, almost like the ladybug spots on Ladybug’s aqua suit but far tinier. On her back is her sword, sticking out of her blonde ponytail are two red dragon horns accented in black and gold, and behind her black-trimmed red mask with gold flecks, her blue irises have turned slitted and reptilian and her sclerae are now pale blue.

“This is so cool!” Chloé squeals, bouncing on the spot. “Thank you, Ladybug, thank you!”

“Don’t thank me,” Ladybug says. “Prove to me that I made the right choice. What should I call you?”

“Hmm…” Chloé looks over her outfit. “I totally look like an empress. And I’ve got the power of storms. Tempest…empress…Tempress! My name’s Tempress!”

Ladybug nods. “Okay, Tempress. Wait till I’m out there before you follow. Hawkmoth and Mayura will have their attention on me, so they won’t notice you coming out of here. That’ll help them not make the connection between you and Chloé, and I need that for my plan to work once we defeat Heart Hunter.”

“You’re so smart!” Tempress says. “Go, Ladybug, do your thing!”

With a salute, Ladybug takes off running up the stairs and swings away from the fight. It’s time to put her plan into action.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.
> 
> I ended up splitting this chapter, so the next one will be the last one and it’ll have all the Adrigaminette conclusion sweetness XD
> 
> Thanks to CheshireMadd, LeonUlquer, Callmedale, DivineDemonDragon, Breval, PA2, norakwami, LovingAlex, dnofsunshine, Bbgirl3191, TheSuperShipper, SalamanderGoo, writingish1210, naresar and Crisis21 for your comments :)

As she emerges from the subway station, Ladybug swings in a wide arc to check for Hawkmoth and Mayura and to make sure that they see her and aren’t focused on Tempress. They’re still behind the same chimney and don’t seem to have realised that she knows about them as they turn to watch her, which gives Tempress the perfect opening to slip out of the station and take in the scene before her.

“What even is wrong with Hawkmoth?” Tempress says loudly, unsheathing her sword. “Who the hell is this two-faced thing supposed to be? Voldemort?”

“Nice one, dragon girl!” Chat Noir calls down to her with a grin. Tempress rolls her eyes and bats away a beam from Heart Hunter with her sword.

“That’s Tempress to you, alley cat!” she says. Cerana lands next to her and deflects Heart Hunter’s next attack with her trompo, then exchanges a look with Tempress, and an unspoken understanding seems to click into place between them.

“Pleasure to meet you, Tempress,” Cerana says. “My name is Cerana.”

While everyone’s attention is focused on the fight, Ladybug slips into a nearby alleyway so that she can pull the Fox out of her yo-yo and slip the necklace around her neck. With a deep breath, she says, “Tikki, Trixx, unify!” and the red of her suit turns orange under the black spots, while a white patch forms on her torso and a flute forms on her back to accompany her yo-yo.

Okay. Time to focus. Although it’ll take more out of her to channel both the Ladybug and Fox powers, as opposed to just creating a simple illusion, it’s necessary to deceive Hawkmoth and Mayura. An illusion by itself won’t be enough, since Hawkmoth and Mayura will be able to sense its lack of emotions and realise that it’s fake, but with a touch of Ladybug’s creation, she should be able to create just enough to fool Hawkmoth and Mayura. After steeling herself, she slips her flute off her back and plays a short tune.

“Lucky Mirage!” Ladyfox whispers, and her body fills with warmth as the power of the Ladybug and Fox surges through her and focuses on the point where she’s summoning her illusion. Before her eyes, another Ladybug forms with Chloé and Kagami, and under her mental instruction, illusion Chloé runs out of the alleyway.

“But that’s _my_ Miraculous!” illusion Chloé cries, pointing at Cerana. Tempress’ eyes bulge and she opens her mouth, no doubt to ask what the hell’s going on, but then Heart Hunter shoots at her and she yelps and bats the pink beam away with her sword.

“Are you an idiot?” Illusion Kagami sprints out after illusion Chloé and grabs her by the arm, and although illusion Cerana’s eyes widen, she’s a lot better than Tempress at concealing her confusion and surprise at seeing her civilian self. “Do you _want_ to get hit by the akuma?”

Illusion Chloé scoffs and flips her hair. “I _told_ you, Tsurugi, Heart Hunter doesn’t want _moi_. I don’t have any love for Mummy and Daddy to eat!”

“Only a truly spoilt little brat could have a heart that black!” Audrey’s face says. Then Heart Hunter flips to reveal André’s face.

“But the girl next to her!” André says. “The love for her special ones pouring from her! Scrumptious!”

The next few seconds seem to happen in slow motion. Right as Heart Hunter’s preparing to fire at illusion Kagami, they’re engulfed in a purple-black mass and separate into André and Audrey, who scream as they plummet to the ground, while the white butterfly flutters off and another evilised one emerges from behind the chimney heading towards illusion Chloé. While Chat Noir and Tempress bound up to catch André and Audrey, Ladyfox’s head starts to spin from the pressure of having to look out for three Ladybug-enhanced illusions and pull this gamble off, all while doubly transformed. But she shakes her head to clear the dizziness, takes a deep breath, then tosses her yo-yo out to catch the akuma, timing it so that illusion Ladybug comes leaping from the rooftops behind Ladyfox at the correct angle.

“What are you two doing?” illusion Ladybug snaps as she scoops up illusion Chloé and illusion Kagami and throws them over her shoulders. “I told you, you can’t ever be Queen Bee and Ryuuko again, since your identities are known!”

Tempress’ eyes widen, and she whips her head around to stare at Cerana, who gives her an impassive look until she looks away.

“I wasn’t trying to become Ryuuko again,” illusion Kagami says. “I was trying to keep this ungrateful brat from running into danger and getting attacked.”

“ _Excuse_ me?” illusion Chloé huffs. Illusion Kagami shrugs.

“Well, you were nearly akumatised, so I don’t see how I’m wrong,” she says.

“Enough!” Illusion Ladybug looks at Chat Noir and says, “I’ll leave them somewhere safe and then use my Miraculous Ladybug, just in case Hawkmoth has something else up his sleeve.”

“Hawkmoth!” Chat Noir whirls to look at where the akuma had come from and then takes off bounding in that direction before illusion Ladybug can call him back. Tempress and Cerana make to follow him, but illusion Ladybug looks at them and shakes her head.

“Ladybug’s waiting for you in that alley,” she says, nodding back at where Ladyfox is hidden, speaking softly enough that a bickering André and Audrey don’t hear as they storm off.

“What the heck is even going on?” Tempress splutters. Illusion Ladybug just shakes her head and leaps off with illusion Chloé and illusion Kagami. Ladyfox waits until the illusion’s down the subway station stairs and is out of sight, just case there are any cameras nearby, before swiping the air with her flute.

“Reality!” she murmurs, and the warm connection to the illusions in the station dissipates. Then she throws her yo-yo into the air and says, “Miraculous Ladybug!” to send her healing ladybug swarm zooming around Paris, repairing the damage done by Heart Hunter. A second later, Tempress and Cerana slip into the alleyway, and their eyes widen at the sight of her.

“You’re not Ladybug.” Cerana unslings her trompo and steps in front of Cerana, whirling it slowly. “Who are you?”

“Right, so you and Kagami were in two places at once for no reason,” Ladyfox drawls. “Tikki, Trixx, divide!” In a small burst of orange light, Ladyfox’s transformation melts away to leave her as plain Ladybug, with Trixx hovering by her side. She smiles at Trixx in gratitude, then takes the Fox necklace off and stores it back in its box.

“You can use _two_?” Tempress’ eyes bulge. “Since when?”

“Theoretically, you can use them all,” Ladybug says as her earrings beep. “But the more you use, the more chance there is of losing your mind. I had to trick Hawkmoth and Mayura into thinking that Chloé and Kagami weren’t superheroes any longer while also being able to deal with any tricks they might throw. And I needed my Ladybug power to enhance the illusions, otherwise Hawkmoth and Mayura would’ve known that they were fakes when they didn’t feel any emotions. The fact that he deakumatised Chloé’s parents when he saw my illusion of her…he _had_ to have something planned. I just don’t know what.”

“You’re so smart, Ladybug!” Tempress blurts out. “Uh…how do I detransform? I’m guessing I don’t say storm off or whatever.”

“A Dragon is far more cultured than that,” Cerana snorts. “Buzz off.”

Tempress’ scowl just widens at Cerana nailing the detransformation phrase and turning back into Kagami in a flash of golden light. Ladybug decides to take pity on her, if only because she’s literally just had her Redemption Epiphany™ and encouraging her to backslide into bitchiness is probably not the best idea right now.

“It’s “open skies”,” Ladybug says. Tempress sniffs.

“No need to be so complicated,” she says. “Open skies.”

For a moment, girls and kwamis stare at each other; Chloé and Pollen, Kagami and Longg. Before any of them can say anything, a flash of black lands between them and straightens up, bottom lip stuck out.

“I’m sorry, milady,” Chat Noir says. “I lost track of them. I nearly had them, I swear!”

“Chat. Hey.” Ladybug squeezes his shoulder. “It’s okay. They’re pretty slippery. And anyway, _we’re_ the ones who won today. We stopped whatever plan they had and convinced them that Chloé and Kagami are retired.”

Chat Noir frowns at Chloé and Kagami, who are still regarding their former kwamis. “How _did_ you do it, bugaboo? I always knew you were extraordinary, but nothing like that!”

“No need for flattery,” Ladybug says with an impish wink. “I just got a little help from Ladyfox.”

“Lady…fox? You merged them?” Chat Noir beams. Before he can say anything more, her earrings beep again, and he grimaces. “Can I talk to you quickly? Before you go? It’s important.”

“Of course, kitty.” Ladybug accepts the Bee comb and Dragon choker from Kagami and Chloé and returns them to their boxes while Kagami and Chloé slip out of the alleyway and head in opposite directions. When it’s just her and Chat Noir, she offers him a quick smile, encouraging him to go ahead and speak.

“I know you’ve turned me down over and over, Ladybug,” Chat Noir says. Ladybug opens her mouth, to reflexively let him down gently once again, but he shakes his head and so she remains silent, waiting for what comes next. “And I just…I like someone else. Another _two_ girls.”

“Kitty, that’s great!” Ladybug nudges him with a smile. “Go for it!”

“I just need a favour from you,” Chat Noir says. “Part of me still love you. Part of me will always love you, I think.”

“That doesn’t mean it can’t be platonic,” Ladybug says softly.

“Yeah, I know. I guess I just…need you to look me in the eye and tell me once and for all that we can’t be a thing. Because I want to be with these girls, but it’s not fair if I’m still pining after you. And I know you shouldn’t have to do this just for me to get the message but…please, milady.”

“Why would that work now, as opposed to any other time?” Ladybug says. It’s not that she’s not going to do it. She just needs to understand where Chat Noir’s head is at, since he’s been pursuing her for so long.

“Because every other time, I didn’t _want_ to believe it,” Chat Noir says, looking at the ground. “And I’m so, so sorry, Ladybug. I should’ve respected the first time you said no instead of keeping it up and acting like I could wear you down. I realise that now. But this time…well, I really like both these girls, and I want to be with them without hurting them, and the only way I can do that is to accept that I’ve got no chance whatsoever with you and make myself move on. I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have to feel obligated to –”

“Hey. No. Don’t apologise.” Ladybug reaches out to lift Chat Noir’s chin, ignoring the two-minute warning beep of her earrings, and she smiles softly at the uncertain flicker of light in his green cat eyes. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir, but I can’t love you romantically. I _don’t_ love you like that. But you’ll always, always be one of my best friends. You’re irreplaceable, you know that? Even if you feel like you’re useless because I can finish things off by myself, you need to know that I couldn’t do this without you by my side. You’re the one who keeps Ladybug going. You’re the reason I didn’t quit on my first day. Got that, kitty?”

Chat Noir grins, a toothy little thing, and he nods and throws his arms around Ladybug. “Thanks, Ladybug. I needed that. And I hope you get this other guy that you’re into. He must be real special if he caught _your_ heart.”

“Thanks, Chat,” Ladybug murmurs. She jumps when her earrings give their one-minute warning, and that’s Chat Noir’s cue to back away and shoot her finger guns.

“Well, milady, I’m off to get myself two really cool girlfriends,” he says. “And hopefully get them each other too, ‘cause I know one’s into the other and the other said she could possibly fall for the first over time.”

Ladybug snorts because wow, if that doesn’t sound like her situation with Kagami, she doesn’t know what does. What kind of shenanigans is Chat Noir getting himself into? She waves as he bounds away, and then she whispers, “Spots off,” and her transformation dissolves in a flash of pink light.

“Wow,” Marinette says as she emerges from the alleyway and sets off for the park to return the Miraculouses. “Who would’ve thought that Chat Noir’s love life was just as complicated as mine?”

“Yes,” Tikki says in an oddly flat voice, “who would have thought?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own ML.
> 
> Thanks to Callmedale, PA2, TheSuperShipper, dnofsunshine, DivineDemonDragon, ghostlyhamburger, redbird691, GalahadWilder, writingish1210, CheshireMadd, Bbgirl3191, Crisis21 and SailorMew4 for your comments :)

As soon as he detransforms, Adrien takes off running back to where he’d left Marinette and Kagami in his haste to turn into Chat Noir. But neither of them is there; the only sign that they’d been on that street at all is the melted ice cream that he’d dropped when Heart Hunter had found their street.

His heart leaps into his throat. Are the girls okay? If anything’s happened to them, he won’t forgive himself, even though Chat Noir has a duty to Paris and transforming to take down Heart Hunter had rationally been the best way to keep them safe – but maybe he could have made sure that they were safe and hidden before running off –

“Adrien!”

Adrien’s shoulders slump in sheer relief when Kagami rounds the corner, catches sight of him, and runs up to him, her short hair and red skirt billowing. He opens his arms to catch her but he’s not expecting her to throw her arms around his neck and practically suffocate him.

“I’m okay,” he chokes. When he takes a deep breath, the faint smell of her sports deodorant fills his nostrils; so different to Marinette’s scent of vanilla and strawberries, yet just as warm and comforting because of who it belongs to. “I found Chat Noir – he got me somewhere safe –”

“Well, you shouldn’t have left us in the first place!” Kagami lets go and steps back to cross her arms and scowl at him. “You just left me and Marinette there. You put yourself in danger. If you hadn’t found Chat Noir…”

How can he reassure her that he wasn’t in any danger as Adrien? He can’t; not without revealing himself as Chat Noir. Instead, he just takes her hands and looks her in the eyes. _Cinnamon,_ is the first word that pops into his mind. He and Marinette really had been correct about her ice cream flavour.

“I’m sorry I made you worry, Kagami,” Adrien says. “But I – Marinette!”

Kagami whips around as Adrien waves at the pink figure that’s just skidded around the same corner, and a small smile crosses her lips at the sight of Marinette bolting down the street, cheeks red and black hair falling out of her pigtails. God, she’s so _gorgeous_. How had Adrien never noticed before? Sure, he’s always been aware that Marinette’s pretty, and he’s called her their everyday Ladybug, but he’s never noticed just how… _radiant_ her soul is. She’s loud where Kagami is quiet, soft where Kagami is abrasive, poetic where Kagami is direct, and the sudden realisation that he loves both these girls so much and just as much as each other makes Adrien’s head spin.

“…hope you found a good place to hide,” Kagami’s saying when Adrien manages to pull himself out of his lovesick daze. “I couldn’t find Adrien, but Ladybug encountered me and helped me hide properly.”

“Of course!” Marinette says with a breathless laugh, scratching the back of her head. “I’m a pro at hiding from akumas. Between getting mummified by Pharaoh and knighted by Darkblade and hit by Reflekta both times, I kind of try not to be anywhere near them if I can help it.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, Marinette,” Adrien says in a slightly hoarse voice. Marinette’s cheeks pinken and she lets out an odd giggle and by god, again, how has he never noticed just how gorgeous she is?

“Tou yoo – you too!” Marinette babbles. She groans and facepalms. “Excuse my stuttering. You make me nervous. In the best way! Not in a bad way!”

Adrien lets a small grin slide across his face as he slips an arm around Marinette, whose cheeks darken to the colour of Ladybug’s suit. It’s not the first time he’s associated her with Ladybug but, well…she’d been Multimouse. He’d seen her with Ladybug. There’s no way they can be the same girl, not unless she’d somehow pulled off some epic trick, but he can’t think of how she could have possibly done so. And besides, it’s not fair to associate Marinette with Ladybug. Ladybug had rejected him once and for all and he’s moving on; moving on to Marinette and Kagami. A part of him will always love Ladybug, that much is true, but no way in hell is he going to hurt these two amazing girls.

He’s made his choice. He’s committed. Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Kagami Tsurugi are the girls he picks. And it’s not like he’s losing Ladybug; as she’d said, he’s still one of her best friends and he’s irreplaceable.

“I always wondered why you stuttered around me,” Adrien says. “I don’t think you’re a freak for it or anything, by the way. You can’t exactly help it.”

Marinette lets out an explosive breath. “Oh, thank _god_. One of my nightmares was of you laughing at me and – well, I don’t think you’d laugh at me! No way! I just tend to get into anxiety spirals and catastrophise like mad.”

“Ah. Anxiety.” Kagami tilts her head. “I hadn’t considered that that could be a reason for your hesitance. I’m sorry for judging you unfairly, Marinette.”

“Well, you’ve got enough ‘no hesitation’ energy for both of us,” Marinette says with a nervous little laugh. Kagami smiles at her.

“Yes, I do. And _you_ –” She turns and jabs a finger at Adrien, “– were in the middle of apologising to me for making me worry.”

“Oh!” Marinette’s eyes widen. “Did you – Adrien, were you okay?”

“Yeah! Chat Noir hid me,” Adrien says. “Anyway, as I was saying to Kagami…I’m sorry for making you girls worry. I thought I was helping by finding Chat Noir, but I didn’t think that I’d be worrying you. I guess…well, I guess I’m just not used to people genuinely worrying about me like that. My father worries about me, yeah, but his worry’s more of a ‘my perfect son is two seconds late, this is unacceptable!’ kind.”

Marinette and Kagami’s mouths droop after Adrien’s apology. In the blink of an eye, he’s got both girls clinging to him, and their arms also snake around each other but neither seems to mind. If anything, they seem to lean into each other as well.

“We’ll always care about you, Adrien,” Marinette says.

“And we accept your apology,” Kagami says. Adrien squeezes them both.

“Thanks, Marinette, Kagami. And…” He takes a deep breath. No going back now. “I ran into Ladybug just before she turned back, and I got to talk to her.” For some reason, Marinette stiffens in his embrace. “She was pretty cool about my crush, but she did pretty firmly tell me that it couldn’t happen. And I know I’m not going to get over her overnight but, well…I choose you. Both of you. I’m committing. Just feel free to slap me if I mess up and hurt either of you –”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of slapping you,” Kagami says. “I’ll just make you dread every fencing session of ours.”

“And I’ll make you paranoid of all the treats I bring you,” Marinette says into his shirt, her muffled voice slightly higher than usual. Adrien shudders, because Kagami is already a terrifying opponent when she’s _not_ angry, and Marinette must be _super_ angry to meddle with pastries.

“Okay, yeah, that’s fair,” he says. “Just tell me, at least? I don’t want to mess up and hurt you two without knowing what I did.”

“Deal,” Marinette and Kagami say before releasing him and stepping back. They exchange a look, and Adrien’s suddenly wondering if it’s too late to run, because there’s no way he’ll survive when _both_ these girls team up against him.

“Uh, why do I feel like I’m going to be eaten alive?” he says.

“You go first,” Kagami says. “He’s full of nervous energy, just like you. I’d like him relatively calm before I try.”

Marinette pokes her tongue out at Kagami in return. Before Adrien can ask what the hell’s going on, Marinette’s reaching over to clasp his hands, lacing their fingers together, and she gives him a nervous little smile while biting her lip.

“I was, um, well…hoping you could kiss us. Only if it’s okay with you…” she says. Adrien’s stomach lurches, but not in a bad way; it’s much more of an _oh god, I have_ two _amazing girls to kiss way_ instead.

“Y-Yeah!” Adrien squeezes his hand. “It’ll probably be awful, though. Sorry, I’m just…you know, wrapping my head around the fact that I’m _allowed_ to be with both of you. And the thought of being with you both is doing something to my insides. Not in a _bad_ way, and I _do_ want to kiss you, I just don’t want to let you down, because I know you must have been dreaming of it if you’ve been crushing on me for this long and I know Kagami’s got high standards and I –”

He’s cut off by a pair of warm, soft lips pressing against his own as Marinette stands on her tiptoes to kiss him. It’s not hard, not forceful, not demanding more than he wants to give; instead, it’s hesitant and light, inviting him to make the next move, to take it as far as he wants, with nothing more expected of him. And as he kisses back, trying to channel all his late-night air kissing practice while Plagg teases him mercilessly, it’s almost impossible to come to terms with just how much he _loves_ it.

It’s far from his first kiss, or even his second. He owes those both to Ladybug, even if he can’t remember them. But kissing Marinette is _right_ , like coming home after a long, hard day – _home_ , not the cold, empty mansion in which he currently lives – to warm food and laughter and _love_. After a moment, Marinette lowers herself back down, and she squeaks and flushes bright scarlet as Adrien tries to recapture the brain cells that are leaking out of his ears.

“W-Wow,” Marinette says in a voice so high that every dog in Paris has probably been alerted. “That was – oh my gosh – _I kissed Adrien_ –”

“Just remember to breathe,” Kagami says with an amused little smile. “If you pass out, Adrien and I will be so worried about you that I won’t get my turn.”

Marinette gulps and nods. Meanwhile, Adrien’s finally managed to scoop back his liquefied brain, although he’s got a sneaking suspicion that it’s just going to melt again after he kisses Kagami.

“Go for it!” Marinette makes a vague hand gesture. “I’ll just try not to freaking _die_ over here.”

“If you’re sure?” Kagami says, still smiling like this is the funniest joke she’s ever seen. Marinette nods rapidly, so Kagami steps up to Adrien, who’s starting to wonder if he’s even going to make it out of this alive. His question is answered as soon as Kagami wraps her arms around his neck in a loose embrace and guides their lips together: no, he’s _not_ going to survive this, not if he gets to kiss Marinette _and_ Kagami.

Where Marinette had been soft and let him control the pace, Kagami easily takes the lead, awkwardly working her mouth against his but not uncomfortably; more in a way that makes it blatantly obvious that this is her first kiss, despite her self-assuredness. But, as commanding as she is, Kagami is never once forceful and demanding in her kiss, as one might have suspected from her personality. Instead, it’s like she’s taking his hand and pulling him along, leading and guiding but giving him more than enough room to object and slow down if need be.

It’s nothing like the time Lila had wrenched him in for that cheek kiss; she’d been overpowering and dominating, but Kagami’s force is far gentler and much more respectful. It’s like the whirlwind of their fencing matches, of their rebellions and escapes from their overbearing parents, and although Adrien’s thought this far too often today, he can’t deny it: it’s so different to Marinette’s kiss, yet equally amazing in the best possible ways. Maybe that’s why he’s so drawn to both Marinette and Kagami.

Adrien couldn’t say if Kagami’s kiss lasted longer than Marinette’s. All he knows is that when Kagami finally steps away to give him the space to process what had just happened, he’s not even sure if it’s the same _year_.

“Wow,” is all his mouth will say once he’s got some semblance of higher brainpower back. “ _Wow_. Both of you. Just…wow.”

Marinette and Kagami laugh and grin at each other.

“I think we broke him,” Marinette says.

“I guess we’ll just have to fix him, then,” Kagami says.

“Oh my god.” Adrien nearly faints on the spot. “Stop it. I can’t handle _both_ of you.”

The girls exchange another grin.

“I think you were right, Kagami,” Marinette says. “Sharing him is the best idea I’ve heard all day. It’s so satisfying to watch you break him.”

“It’s exactly the same for me,” Kagami says. “Maybe one day, I can break you too.”

Marinette whimpers and flushes scarlet again. Her face is so red that Adrien blurts out, “You’re utterly adorable, _ma fraise_ ,” before he can help himself, and Marinette blinks owlishly at him.

“Your strawberry?” she says.

“Um…yeah?” Adrien scratches the nape of his neck. “Because your flavour is strawberry? And your face is red like one right now?”

“Hey!” Marinette shoves him playfully, still blushing. “Don’t mock me!”

“Shall I defend your honour?” Kagami says. “I’m sure I could find another ladle.”

Adrien snickers and takes a step towards Kagami, who stands her ground with an amused eyebrow-raise. He leans in, brushes some of her dark hair away from her ear, and murmurs, “Challenge accepted, _ma cannelle_.”

He’s going to get absolutely _murdered_ later. But oh, it’s so worth it to see how pink floods Kagami’s face when he steps away, because when does he ever manage to get one over her?

“G-Get me a ladle too,” Marinette babbles. “I’ll yefend dour – defend your honour too!”

The slow smile that spreads across Kagami’s face confirms Adrien’s suspicion from just moments before: he’s _dead_. But honestly? Death by two terrifyingly tough girlfriends doesn’t sound like the worst way to go.


End file.
